Today I put the finishing touches to a documentary on Bob Marley called One Love. It’ll be broadcast on BBC world service radio on May 13th the day before his birthday. The producer, Dilly Barlow, said “I have something for you Lemn” and gave me a photograph of Bob that I’ve never seen. On the back is a message to me from Bob’s long time girlfriend Esther Anderson.
Robert Nesta Marley died the year I discovered him. He was buried on my birthday – May 21st 1981. I was fourteen. I was introduced to him by the hippies on a housing estate that surrounded my children’s home on hag fold estate in a Lilliputian village called Atherton in Lancashire. I didn’t even know a black person until then.
By sixteen I was twisting my hair and growing dreadlocks. First they looked like Marley’s Natty Dread album cover and eventually they dropped into strands. After sixteen years in the “care system” the government decided I needed assessing and locked me away for a year in Wood End Assessment Centre – a lock up with a padded cell. (cont in next blog…)
my partner was in woodend and im trying to find out any info has to how the place worked and why he was put in there.unfortunatley he took his own life this year and leaves behind 2 children and im trying to piece together his childhood in care.his name was darren lovell,any info would be greatly appreciated.kind regards trudi.
Trudi – DM me …I might be able to help you re that place